An audit report has uncovered that the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll Council exceeded government directives by spending MVR 1.9 million on three overseas study tours in 2024. The report, part of the Audit Office’s 2024 Compliance Audit of the Council’s Secretariat, indicates that this expenditure was made despite instructions from the Ministry of Finance and the now-abolished Ministry of Local Government to reduce public spending and enhance efficiency.

One trip involved nine council members and ten others, including the Secretary-General, traveling to Sri Lanka, with MVR 894,082 spent on the visit. Additionally, 17 staff members from the council office spent MVR 306,848 on another study tour to Sri Lanka during the same year.

Another delegation, comprising nine council members and ten others, including the Secretary-General, took a 13-day trip to Thailand to observe sites related to the taro leaf blight affecting southern Huvadhu islands. The audit states that MVR 723,936 was used for this trip, which appears to be inconsistent with directives from the Finance Ministry and the former Local Government Ministry aimed at controlling public expenditure and improving efficiency. The report notes that there was no evidence of meetings with Thai authorities, research institutes, or officially recognized agricultural organizations during this visit.

The audit also pointed out deficiencies in the council’s record-keeping related to receivables for 2024, including failures to register bills, maintain the receivables system, and recover MVR 833,070 from previous years, all in violation of financial regulations.

Furthermore, the Audit Office had previously advised the council to recover MVR 233,018 allocated between 2018 and 2023 for constructing an office boundary wall, but the council had not taken action on this recommendation.

Lastly, the report found that MVR 180,100 in state revenue received by the council up to 2024 had not been deposited into the official bank account as of August 18 of the previous year.